Moving a Boat to AZ - Effect on Wood Mast?

[CaptainShack]

Hi everyone

I'm very close to buying my first boat, she's a 31' mariner ketch. The plan was to pull her out of the water in CA and move her to AZ. I've gotten quotes on pulling her out of the water in CA, the shipping to AZ and taking her off the trailer and storing her in a slip in AZ. My Issue, and its something the rigger mentioned here in AZ was the effect of the dry environment will cause the wood Mast's to Crack and split.

Any advice on the hole situation especially the effect of AZ Weather on a Fiberglass Sailboat.

[svquest2]

Drying and splitting is quite possible. The mahogany cabin sides on my boat cracked and split while the boat was covered and stored and I live in Washington.

When I lived in New England over 35 years ago, the old salts with wooden masts would insure their boats were moored on a buoy so the boats would turn in the sun. They believed that the sun on one side of the mast would cause it to warp.

I have not seen many boats in AZ but the sun raised hell with wood when on boats I saw stored in Mexico.

I don't think that mast destruction is automatic in AZ however, but you are going to have to exercise some due diligence, to keep your varnish up and your mast sealed.
I think a mast properly maintained will survive okay.

As for the effect on fiberglass you should use white on the topsides, light color on the decks & cabin, and a light colored bottom paint. I had a black painted rudder de-laminate in a boatyard when the sun baked it. Dark colored hulls get very hot as do teak decks. Hulls topsides other than white fade as well and require frequent polishing and waxing. The fiberglass itself does not appear to be affected.

Good luck

Joe S